Gallagher in good form

Birmingham City striker Sam Gallagher believes he is starting to use his power as much as his pace after hitting the goal trail for Blues.

The on-loan forward has flourished since moving back into a central striking role with five goals in his last seven matches.

However, the 22-year-old says his new-found form isn’t just because of where he is playing - but how .

He says he is starting to ‘give back’ the stick he receives from defenders having been urged by manager Steve Cotterill to be more physical.

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“When you cross that white line it’s having that aggression because you are against centre halves that have played in the league a few years and they know the little tricks they can do against you,” he said.

“I think it’s just about giving it back a little bit - and yeah, being a bit more aggressive.

“It’s just a mentality thing, just putting it on the pitch and wanting to win.

“Coming through the age groups I was always able to use my size, I was always tall for my age but reasonably quick as well.

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“I think that’s one thing that maybe surprises teams - and maybe why I don’t play as much on being tall because I know I can make movements and run in behind as well.

“If you can bump defenders around that’s another string to my bow - that’s something that will only help and something the manager has said to me ‘be more aggressive’ and it’s paying off.”

But he also attributes his goal return to the team working more as a collective.

Certainly that was the case at Preston last time out where Blues drew 1-1 and Gallagher was given a simple finish after Jacques Maghoma won the ball off the last defender.

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“It’s down to our overall desire and passion throughout the pitch.

“You see the goal we scored on Saturday, everyone single one of us was travelling forward and looking to press the ball.

“The way that Mags won it, I think that just typifies what we are about at the moment.

“The fact he could have scored it himself but passed it to me is another thing that shows our togetherness.”

That draw meant Blues have taken four of their last six available points away from home - and they have lost just one of their last five matches.

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And while they remain in the bottom three - and ex-MK Dons and Blackburn man Gallagher considers his third relegation battle in as many seasons - he is adamant it’s a battle his current team-mates can win.

“I joined Birmingham City - like a lot of players - in the genuine belief that we will be a team that can compete at the highest level in this league.

“It’s been tough for the club and tough for the players, there’s been a lot of chopping and changing but I think we are starting to show our potential.

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“It’s one of the most difficult leagues because each teams beats one another. You can’t go to a place and expect to win.

“Last year at Blackburn we beat Newcastle twice being bottom of the league - and that wouldn’t happen in any other league and just shows how each result can vary.

“We feel like we have got what it takes to get out of this position.

“Belief being a very major factor. That’s one thing that has been drummed into us by the manager as well.

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All you need to know about Blues now

“We need to believe in ourselves and how good we are because we can do it.

“If we go behind now it’s almost a bit of a shock because we don’t feel we deserve it, we feel like we are well in games, we are on top of teams - that was the case on Saturday.

“[At Preston] It maybe took us ten minutes after conceding to sort ourselves out again but when it came to the second half I thought we were brilliant.”

Gleeson's assessment

Stephen Gleeson has admitted he was 'desperate' to leave Birmingham City despite his admiration for Steve Cotterill and aimed a parting shot at former manager Harry Redknapp.

Gleeson, 29, signed for Ipswich Town on a free transfer last week after falling out of favour at St Andrew's.

The Republic of Ireland international made just seven appearances this season - and only three starts - with his last outing have come in the 1-0 defeat against Fulham at the beginning of December.

Gleeson was allowed to cut ties with Blues looking to trim the squad - but a move away from the club was blocked in the summer and the midfielder hinted that his relationship with Cotterill was better than with predecessor Redknapp.

“Was I desperate to leave Birmingham? Yes, but the manager there was brilliant. He’s a lovely manager and I have a lot of time for him.

“He was brutally honest and said I probably wasn’t going to play in his team, so he allowed me to go. It was a rough, rough year with three managers and not playing when I thought I should have been.

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“They’re a great club and I wish them all the best but it was time for me to move on. Things were a bit stale between me and the club.

“I like honesty. I don’t like people saying one thing to your face and quite another behind your back. Steve Cotterill told me straight that I wouldn’t be in his starting 11 but that he might need me from the bench.

“I wanted to play and I was always available for him if he wanted me. I felt we had a good relationship and I told him when I left that I felt it was bad that he was the manager telling me I could go.

“I would have preferred it to be the manager before him. I actually really like Steve Cotterill and I hope he does well. I think we have a mutual respect for each other.”

Blues have had three permanent bosses in the last year since Gary Rowett's sacking - and asked if he was a victom of different managers imposing their own ideas, Gleeson said: “Probably. From just over a year ago when Gary Rowett left there’s been three new managers in charge and everyone has their own opinions on players. I don’t know but maybe the owners want their own players.

“It’s frustrating when you think you should be involved and good enough to be playing. You train at your best day in, day out, but there’s no game at the end of it. There’s nothing more frustrating in football.

“I had a chance to move on last summer, which was blocked, and that was also frustrating.

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“It’s been a long year and I just want to play and enjoy football again. It was probably a case of too many managers bringing too many players in but that was how they wanted to go.

“I didn’t find it hard to remain motivated but that’s me. I have high standards when it comes to training and I could count on the fingers of one hand the number of times I’ve sacked off training. It’s not in my character to do it.”

Referring to Rowett's sacking, Gleeson said: “You need to ask the club what happened there. Gary was a great manager for me personally, as well as the club, and what he’s doing at Derby just proves what a good manager he is."

But the former MK Dons man hopes that Blues can drag themselves away from danger.

“It hasn’t worked out for Birmingham since then but there are some great people at the club and hopefully they can get it right this year. It would be sad to see such a massive club like that be anywhere near the bottom of the league," Gleeson added.

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“I didn’t feel part of a relegation battle when I was there. It was the fact that I didn’t feel part of it there that I wanted to get out and move on. Good luck to Birmingham and hopefully they will get out of it because it’s a massive club.

“Hopefully we can push on and bring Ipswich into contention for the play-offs. I haven’t looked at the table much but we’re not far off the play-offs. If we can string a few results together we’ll be right back in the mix.”

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All you need to know about Blues now

Field day

Birmingham City are keen to take Sam Field on loan from West Bromwich Albion.

Blues boss Steve Cotterill wants to strengthen his options in the final week of the January transfer window and has identified the 19-year-old as a target, reports the Daily Mail.

Field is highly-rated at the Hawthorns and Alan Pardew may allow him to leave if Albion add to their squad this month.

The left-footed midfielder broke into the Baggies first team this season and starred against Tottenham at Wembley before scoring his first goal for the club against Newcastle.

But he has only made three appearances since the start of December and may benefit from regular game time elsewhere.

It is thought a number of other Championship clubs have made enquiries.

Field, born in Stourbridge, has represented England at Under-18s through to Under-20s levels.

Cotterill is in the market for new faces but is operating on a tight budget due to the club's spending in previous windows and is likely to chase loan deals.

Blues have allowed Emilio Nsue, Stephen Gleeson and David Cotterill to leave permanently this month.

McGoldrick asking price

David McGoldrick will be allowed to leave Ipswich Town for £500,000 in January as the Birmingham City-linked striker moves closer to a Portman Road exit.

McGoldrick, 30, is out of contract at the end of the season and is available in a cut-price deal.

Blues are yet to flex their muscles in terms of arrivals in the January market but remain keen to add a new face before the window closes next week.

They were linked with McGoldrick earlier this month as Steve Cotterill looks to bolster his options up front.

The level of spending in the last two windows means the club are scouting for bargains and McGoldrick could fit the bill.

Cardiff City have also been linked with McGoldrick who has scored 36 times in over 120 league appearances for Town, and has eight goals in 22 appearances this campaign.

The Republic of Ireland's versatility across the forward line is likely to appeal to potential suitors with Ipswich manager Mick McCarthy admitting McGoldrick is 'an obvious target' for Championship clubs and that he could leave this month.

“He is an obvious target. None of us want to lose him but we’ll see what happens," said McCarthy.

“I guess there’s the short-term view on the four months left that we’ve got of the season and then the long-term view in terms of if he was to go, it might not be good for the short-term.

“But if we were to replace him with somebody that’s a younger version that comes in and for the long-term of the club, that may well be beneficial.

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“If somebody bids for him, if somebody wants to come and take him.

“It’s been a bit of a bumpy old road with Didz for a long time with bids from Leicester apparently [four years ago and other people and then he’s had lots of injuries.

“I just say to him, ‘just keep playing, keep playing as well as you can’.”

Ticket update

Birmingham City supporters will be able to pay on the day for Saturday’s FA Cup tie with Huddersfield Town.

The Terriers have today confirmed there will be cash turnstiles available for the game which takes place at the John Smith’s Stadium on January 27.

Blues had sold out the advanced allocation of 2,290 tickets but can now pay on the gate at turnstiles 21-24 of the Chadwick Lawrence Stand.

Prices are: Adult - £15, Over-60s - £10 and Under 18s - £5.

However, it’s not so simple for the derby game at Villa Park on Sunday, February 11.

The club have confirmed they have sold out their entire 2,100 allocation for the match.

Most of that was snapped up by Platinum and Gold members with a limited number going on sale at 5pm on Wednesday.

However, with 20 minutes Silver members had taken the remaining few and Blues will now be backed by a full contingent in a fixture their neighbours have also sold out.

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Suen finances

Incumbent Gary Rowett was the first to go in December 2016 in a move which stunned many in the game, particularly since Blues were on the fringes of the play-off places at the time.

Gianfranco Zola, considered to have a more glamorous pedigree, was brought in, but a spell of two wins in 24 matches made his departure inevitable in April 2017.

Harry Redknapp was next in the manager’s chair and he stabilised performances enough to keep the club in the Championship, but a run of one win in the first eight games of the current season meant he was axed and replaced by Steve Cotterill.

Birmingham City FC’s parent company – Birmingham Sports Holdings Ltd – issued a profit warning in September saying in a statement to the Hong Kong Stock Exchange that losses were expected to be substantial due to increases in operating costs and higher spending on players and staff.

Hong Kong-based Trillion Trophy Asia – incorporated in the British Virgin Islands – established a two-year exclusivity agreement with Blues parent Birmingham International Holdings, giving the club some much-needed stability.

And the 56 year-old head of the new owners is a man with a reputation for turning round distressed businesses. He is known as “the king of the penny stocks.”

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Paul Suen Cho Hung was educated at the University of South Australia and obtained a Masters in business administration.

He is currently chairman of Enviro Energy International Holdings, a position he took up in June this year. He has previously run, or been a significant shareholder in a number of Hong Kong Stock Exchange-quoted companies including BEP International Holdings, Sunlink International Holdings and Huajun Holdings.

He owns Excelsior Kingdom Ltd and Global Wealthy Ltd and has extensive experience in managing metals, mineral and raw material companies as well as energy, property and strategic planning in Hong Kong and mainland China.

He is a shareholder in China Strategic and Courage Marine Group.

Enviro Energy is involved in natural resource investment and information technology, with its main focus being the exploration and development of environmental energy projects.

Trillion Trophy Asia acquired 50.64 per cent of Birmingham International Holdings and hoovered up more shares with a 15.1p cash offer. The company has made sure Birmingham City has the working capital it needs to carry on its business and participate in the transfer market.